Embellish the Lace Looks Golden in Mother Goose

Embellish the Lace romps by 13 3/4 lengths at Pimlico. (Photo by Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club)
The 59th running of the Grade 1, $300,000 Mother Goose Stakes brings together a strong field of 10 at Belmont Park with a number of horses exiting the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks last month. However, the trio of Include Betty, Eskenformoney and Money'soncharlotte finished eighth, tenth and thirteenth in that race, respectively, and only Include Betty has run since, finishing second in the Grade 2 Black Eyed Susan Stakes two weeks later.
Of the other seven entrants, Wonder Gal has been competitive at the level when recently third in the Grade 1 Acorn Stakes just three weeks ago at Belmont Park. Up against that bunch are a quartet of recent winners stepping into stakes, led by recent 13 ¾-length winner Embellish the Lace. Munasara, Chide and Pleasant Tales also have potential to step up their game to this level.
Embellish the Lace finished fifth in her career debut last November at the distance of six furlongs. When stretched out to a route in her second career start one month later she demolished the field to win by 10 ¼ lengths. Given time off to mature from December until three weeks ago on June 4, Embellish the Lace ran as if she had never been away, leading from start to finish to win by 13 ¾ lengths and seemingly with a full tank of gas at the end. In that race, Embellish the Lace earned a career-best 96 Equibase Speed Figure which is also the second-best last-race figure in the field. Likely to improve upon the effort, second off the layoff, and with the ground saving rail to help use her early speed to its best advantage, Embellish the Lace also gets the services of Belmont leading jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. All in all that suggests she can win this year's Mother Goose Stakes in her first stakes attempt.
Wonder Gal is the only other filly who has raced this month and that race came at Belmont so she's got familiarity with the track many here lack. That race was the Acorn Stakes, in which Wonder Gal rallied from ninth of 12 in the early stages to finish third, beaten by just one length for the win and earning a career best 101 figure in the process. Last fall, Wonder Gal finished third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies following a runner-up effort at Belmont in the Frizette Stakes. As she has proven time and again she belongs with the best in the division, Wonder Gal should be a factor in the Mother Goose.
WONDER GAL

Photo by Eclipse Sportswire
Pleasant Tales took five starts to earn her first win before running poorly but has shown dramatic improvement in her two most recent races. Stretching out from seven furlongs to a mile last month, Pleasant Tales ran the best race of her career when holding a three-length advantage throughout the stretch to earn a 91 figure. That win came in a one-turn mile race, very similar to the one-turn 1 1/16-mile distance of the Mother Goose. With more improvement expected she may be able to run well enough to post the upset.
Chide and Munasara are two more contenders in this year's Mother Goose. Both are lightly raced and have potential for improvement. Chide has two wins and a second in three races, including a 94 speed figure win at this distance last month, while Munasara is a perfect two-for-two in her career, both with 91 figures. The most recent figure came at Belmont, making her one of only four horses in the field with races over the track, experience which could prove valuable.
The rest of the field, with their best representative Equibase Speed Figures, is Danessa Deluxe (92), Eskenformoney (106), Hot City Girl (88), Include Betty (100) and Money'soncharlotte (93).
My Selections:Embellish the LaceWonder GalPleasant Tales 
$300,000 Mother Goose Stakes
Saturday, Belmont Park, Race 9, 5:28 p.m. ET
3-year-old fillies, 1 1/16 miles, dirt

PP

Horse

Jockey

Trainer

Owner

1

Embellish the Lace

Irad Ortiz, Jr.

Tony Dutrow

Alex and JoAnn Lieblong

2

Include Betty

Drayden Van Dyke

Tom Proctor

Brereton Jones and Tim Thornton

3

Hot City Girl

Jose Ortiz

Linda Rice

Lady Sheila Stable

4

Munasara

John Velazquez

Kiaran McLaughlin

Shadwell Stable

5

Chide

Joel Rosario

Al Stall, Jr.

Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider

6

Pleasant Tales

Junior Alvarado

Dallas Stewart

Charles Fipke

7

Money'soncharlotte

Eric Cancel

Kelly Breen

George and Lori Hall

8

Danessa Deluxe

Manuel Franco

Jorge Navarro

Ivan Rodriguez

9

Eskenformoney

Javier Castellano

Todd Pletcher

StarLadies Racing

10

Wonder Gal

Rajiv Maragh

Leah Gyarmati

Treadway Racing Stable